Miami Herald, The (FL)
July 15, 2007
Section: Front
Edition: First Page: 4A

CONDÉ NAST CHIEF’S WIFE FILES FOR DIVORCE IN DADE

JOAN FLEISCHMAN jfleischman@MiamiHerald.com

Talk of Our Town

Condé Nast Publications president and CEO Charles Townsend and wife Kerry Whitaker- Townsend have homes in New York City; Hilton Head, S.C; Middleton, R.I.; Stratton, Vt., and Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo — but she picked Miami-Dade County in which to file divorce papers.

Whitaker-Townsend, 54, separated from her 63-year-old hubby and living at their Florida Keys getaway, hired Miami lawyers Maurice Kutner and Kathryn DeVane Hamilton. Whitaker- Townsend is a Florida resident and as such, can file anywhere in the state.

Whitaker-Townsend once worked for Family Circle magazine, as national beauty and style consultant. Townsend was publisher and president of Family Circle, then owned by The New York Times Co. He later got promoted to CEO of The Times Co.’s women’s magazine publishing division.

They began living together in 1990, she says in court papers. She “devoted herself to supporting [his] career by hostessing and attending his many business and social obligations” and, since their 1995 marriage, has “dedicated herself to the decorating, management, and maintenance of the parties’ five homes.”

At Condé Nast, he runs a “multimillion-dollar company” — and they lived lavishly, she says. They traveled extensively and had use of a private jet. They own several boats, including an 80-foot Burger yacht. In their 10-car fleet is a Rolls-Royce, ’55 T-bird, Porsche, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and two BMWs.

They belong to South Carolina Yacht Club in Hilton Head; Carnegie Abbey Club in Portsmouth, R.I.; Norwalk Yacht Club in South Norwalk, Ct., and Ocean Reef. Townsend is also commodore of New York Yacht Club.

“Given the disparity of the parties’ incomes, [he] should be required to pay… alimony in an amount that will ensure that she will maintain a lifestyle commensurate with that established during the marriage,” her petition says.

They have no children together.

Condé Nast publishes 27 magazines, including Vogue, Glamour, Architectural Digest, Vanity Fair, Gourmet and The New Yorker. Maurie Perl, Condé Nast senior communications VP, says Townsend would have no comment.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Paul Siegel has the case.